A review of the circadian regulation of stem cells: harnessing the internal body clock for enhanced regenerative therapies

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Circadian rhythms are endogenous, transcription-translation feedback loops that align cellular activities with the 24-h light-dark cycle. Stem-cell populations across tissues exhibit circadian oscillations that influence their self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation. Key developmental pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog) are increasingly recognized as both regulators and targets of circadian machinery. Objectives This review synthesizes current knowledge on the bidirectional crosstalk between circadian clock components and major stem-cell regulatory pathways, and evaluates how this interplay shapes tissue homeostasis, regenerative capacity, and therapeutic potential. Methods Literature examining molecular interfaces between circadian clock genes and Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog signaling was surveyed, with emphasis on transcriptional regulation, chromatin dynamics, post-translational control, and functional outcomes for stem-cell behavior and regeneration. Results Evidence indicates that core clock components modulate stem-cell pathways through direct transcriptional control, shared enhancer architecture, altered chromatin accessibility, and rhythmic protein modification. In turn, Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog signals feed back onto clock genes, influencing circadian amplitude and phase within stem-cell niches. Perturbation of this reciprocal regulation disr

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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